Time after Time
by ShatteredElement
Summary: When a mysterious girl falls onto the Thousand Sunny, the crew lets her stay with them for the time being. But as time passes, they run into a problem. Will this girl, Pepper, ever stop arguing with Zoro? ZoroXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Time after Time**

** Chapter One**

** Returning to Life**

Whatever people said about the Straw Hat Pirates, no one could deny that they were formidable; especially the captain and his first mate. Citizens shuddered when they thought of those two pirates, and there were many a debate about which was more frightening: Luffy's carefree attitude or Zoro's steely, glittering glare. It wasn't that they hurt civilians, in fact there was not one instance of the Straw Hat's injuring civilians, but just watching them fight marines was enough to make people cringe when they heard their names.

On this particular day the Straw Hat's were out at sea, sailing away from a small inhabited island in the New World. They had been turned out of the village almost immediately by the mayor of the one town that was established there, his reasoning being that without Whitebeard's protection there was nothing to defend them if other pirates came looking for a fight with the Straw Hats. So, while the rest of the crew distracted the residents Nami snuck into town and stole provisions for the next part of their journey.

Now the Thousand Sunny drifted aimlessly through the blue-gray water, splitting the gentle waves with her bow and all through the ship serenity infused the air. Luffy was napping below deck; Franky and Usopp were sitting in the workshop, Usopp sketching out a plan for another invention and Franky polishing his tools. Nami and Robin were playing a game of chess and Sanji was preparing dinner in the kitchen, the aroma of baked fish drifting through the door. Sanji hoped it wouldn't wake Luffy. The last thing he needed was Luffy asking when dinner was every two seconds. Chopper was cleaning the infirmary and Brooke was keeping watch up in the crow's nest, resting his chin on one bone hand and gazing out at the sun. Zoro was standing on the grassy deck looking up at the dark blue sky.

The green haired swordsman watched the sky almost sadly, with sadness in his eyes that would have puzzled his crew members if they had seen it. His swords hung at his side as always, and his hand moved over their grips restlessly. His tan skin seemed strangely sallow, and his feet scuffed the deck seemingly without their master's knowledge. It was apparent he was distracted.

Indoors, Nami and Robin finished their game of chess, Robin winning with an excellent showing from a reckless pawn and incredibly bloodthirsty bishop. Nami was disgruntled by the loss and glanced out the window to the deck, noticing a certain nakama standing there. She went to the door and glanced up at the sky. With a sigh, she opened the door and walked out onto the deck, the sound of her heels crunching on the wood alerted Zoro, and he turned to look at her, his eyes dull and somehow darker than usual.

"What is it, Nami?" He asked her, looking at her thin form. Nami tossed her red hair and put one hand on her hip.

"It's going to rain, so you better come inside, idiot," she said briskly, turning around as soon as her voice trailed off and walking back inside the Sunny. Zoro watched her go, than looked back up at the sky, not moving. A few minutes later, just as Nami predicted, droplets of water began to fall from the sky in a dance that almost seemed to defy gravity. The gentle impact of rain on his skin caused Zoro to blink, but he continued to look up at the sky.

"Hey, Zoro," Luffy's voice called from the door of the kitchen, "C'mon in! Sanji made dinner!" The swordsman did not respond. "Zoro," Luffy said, slightly confused, "It's time to eat." Luffy was slightly unnerved by the lack of response he was getting from his first mate; although Zoro did not always give a direct answer, he always supplied some indication that he had heard you.

Suddenly Zoro was sprinting across the deck, his eyes still fixed on the sky. "Zoro," Luffy yelled, running out into the rain. His first mate wasn't going to jump into the sea, was he?

Luffy looked up wildly, trying to spot whatever had caught Zoro's eye. It was obvious. Falling from the sky was something far bigger than a raindrop. As Luffy watched, he identified the girl who was tumbling from the sky as having long, straight blond hair, a thin frame much like Nami, and a short stature. As he watched, he saw Zoro reach up into the air to catch the girl before she hit the deck of the Sunny.

The girl fell into Zoro's arms, limp and unmoving. Zoro went down on one knee to absorb the impact just as Luffy ran over to him. "Who is it?" The captain asked, crouching by Zoro, gazing at the girl's face. Zoro looked at the girl he was holding in his arms.

"I don't know," he said. They knelt there for a few minutes, not sure what to do, and just as Luffy was going to stand up and go fetch the others, the girl stirred in Zoro's large, tan arms and opened her eyes, which Luffy now saw were big and a dark chocolate brown. Looking straight into them, he saw a golden undertone in their hue that made them appear like a molten brown color, swirling and full of life.

The girl blinked and sat up, one hand on her head. She looked at Zoro, Luffy, then around at the Sunny. A puzzled expression came to her face and she looked at them again. Her eyes swept to the wheel, the grass covered deck, the crow's nest, and then the flag.

She looked straight at Luffy. "Pirates, right. The Straw Hats, I think." Her voice was strong and pure with a hint of sarcasm lurking in the undertones.

"Yes." Luffy replied. The girl stood up, brushing herself off.

"Well," she said, "That's fantastic." She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "How am I ever going to find Marco now."

"Marco," Luffy said, gazing at her intently, "Marco as in Whitebeard's previous first division commander?"

"Oh," said the girl, cheering up a bit, "You know him? Do you know where he is?"

Luffy shook his head, but Zoro answered. "No, we're not sure where he is, but he must be somewhere out here in the New World. He's probably searching for the One Piece too."

"Anyway, what's he to you?" Luffy asked, crossing his arms and trying to look imposing. The girl raised one eyebrow.

"Marco and I are a couple," she said flatly, "Can you help me find him?"

"Sure," Zoro said, earning him a gaping look from his captain. "What," he said in response to Luffy's look, "We're going to run into him eventually, and having someone else along may help." He turned to the girl. "Can you fight."

"Probably just as well as you can," she replied sassily. Zoro bit back the urge to retaliate with his swords.

"Okay then," he said, turning back to Luffy, "See? She could be a help."

Luffy looked suspicious, suspecting that his first mate may want this girl around for a different reason. After all, she was very pretty and Zoro was single, but the look vanished from his face as soon as he thought about it, and he laughed. Zoro wouldn't ever fall in love, let alone at first sight. He wasn't that kind of guy. "Okay, sounds fine!" He exclaimed with a guffaw. "Just two things," he said, his attention directed towards the girl, who was now trying to mop the hair away from her face.

"What?"

"One: How did you fall from the sky, and Two: What's your name?"

The girl laughed, than looked at Zoro and Luffy. "Okay, first," she started, still chuckling, "I got left behind on a sky island by accident a year or two ago, and eventually drifted to the edge and fell in the little boat I had. And Second: my name is Pepper."

**~Author's Note~**

**Hey all, me here! This is my first actual story, so reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading, I hope you follow the story and others I am writing in future!**

**-ShatteredElement  
**


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter Two**

** Flux**

"So…" Zoro said, glaring at the girl in an attempt to be intimidating. She looked back at his, unafraid, her dark eyes glittering as if they were laughing at him. Zoro scowled. "Pepper, then, right?"

"I believe I just said that, yes," the girl said, her voice sickeningly sweet with a hint of an edge in it. Zoro's eyebrows knitted together on his forehead, but he didn't seem annoyed to Luffy. It was almost as if his first mate was trying to hide the moment of weakness that he had shown asking Luffy if the girl could stay. It was as if Zoro was trying to convince himself that he hated this girl. Luffy couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself, and slowly his laughing escalated and became extremely loud.

"Luffy, quiet down!" Zoro called, flinching and glaring at his captain. His eyes snapped back onto the girl, who was still sitting on the deck, her hands placed over her ears but otherwise unaffected by the noise. Once Luffy calmed back down and finished wiping the tears out of his eyes, the girl put her hands down.

"Wow, I'm hungry now," Luffy remarked, still grinning. He got up and began to run towards the kitchen, his clothes thoroughly soaked through from the rain. "Sanji, have you got any meat," he yelled, waving one arm above his head even though no one could see him. Pepper smiled, and Zoro noted in the back of his mind how sweet of a smile it was; her teeth white and pearly and the happiness behind it genuine. Then he shook his head and forced the thought away. He didn't want to think anything good about this girl; he was afraid that if he did it might make him vulnerable as he had just been. Zoro hated that feeling.

Pepper jumped to her feet and ran after Luffy. "Hey, Straw Hat! Introduce me to everyone, will ya?" Zoro scowled and walked after then slowly, his arms crossed.

"Idiots," he mumbled. He stood on the grassy deck, alone, for a while before walking towards the kitchen. As he opened the door, shaking the water from his green hair, he expected to see a nice, calm scene where everyone was sitting around the table asking Pepper a bunch of questions and eyeing her suspiciously. Zoro was also beginning to wonder about this girl, and mentally slapped himself for defending her out on deck only a few minutes ago. He didn't know what had come over him…

When he looked up at the scene in the kitchen, the first thing that caught his eye was Sanji carrying a huge platter of meat over to a corner table where Luffy sat, and the second thing he saw was Pepper up on the main table dancing a jig while Robin, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper laughed and clapped along. Brooke danced with her, playing his violin. Every few seconds he would stop playing, and Pepper would freeze how she was standing and wait for the music to resume. She began to perform some extremely impressive acrobatics while Zoro stood in the door, mouth gaping.

"Oh, dang," he heard Usopp's familiar voice call out and a bang came from the kitchen, along with a pained yelp from Usopp, who came hopping out to the tables, clutching at his foot. Pepper immediately stopped dancing and hopped down from the table.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking at him intently.

"I dropped a knife when Franky scared me and it hit my foot!" Usopp wailed. He withdrew his hands briefly to show a gash on his foot that had torn through his shoe and his skin.

"Oh no," Pepper said, "Keep putting pressure on it while I fetch some disinfectant and bandages. Can someone show me where the infirmary is?"

"I will," Nami said, getting up.

"What about me," Chopper asked. "After all, I am the doctor."

"You stay here and make sure Usopp doesn't kill himself crying." Nami said as she led Pepper out of the door. Zoro walked over to Robin and sat down heavily in one of the chairs, running one hand through his wet hair.

"Something bothering you, swordsman-san?" Robin asked gently, tapping one finger on the table as she watched Chopper try to convince Usopp he would not bleed to death.

"Maybe, yes, I don't know," Zoro mumbled, putting his face in his hands. "I guess it's just that…I don't think that accepting this girl so easily is a good idea."

Robin smiled sweetly. "Luffy said that it was on your insistence that he let the girl stay."

Zoro felt like a brick had been dropped on his head. Luffy had told them about his behavior on deck. Any normal person would have blushed, but this was Zoro and blushing was something he did not do. Internally, Zoro was ashamed of his weakness and resolved to get stronger, but externally he showed only an angry countenance.

"Did he now…" Zoro said menacingly, glaring at his captain, who was shoveling down meat like the apocalypse was about to hit and the food set before him was the last he would ever eat.

"Swordsman-san," Robin said politely, looking over at Usopp, who was clutching his foot and looking at it as if it would miraculously separate and fall away from the rest of his body if he slackened his grip. "Usually it's bad form to threaten one's captain, in either words or glares."

Zoro grunted and stood up. He stretched out his arms, and was about to walk out when Pepper and Nami came back in. They were carrying bandages and a small jar of what seemed to be paste.

"Here," Pepper said gently, setting down the bandages and paste on the table and carefully removing Usopp's boot. She wiped the blood from the cut with one of the bandages and discarded it, picking up the paste. She opened the jar and dabbed the compound onto the wound, which slowed the bleeding and seemed to act as a disinfectant. Putting the paste back onto the table, Pepper took the bandages and wrapped them securely around the foot, tying it off neatly and standing back. "There," she said with a sigh. "How's that?"

Usopp stood up hesitantly. "It's…fine. Thanks, Pepper."

Pepper smiled sweetly. "No problem. It's basic medicine; everyone should know it. Oh, and sorry, doctor-san. I took over your job for a moment there. My apologies." She bowed to Chopper, who flushed under his fur.

"S-Shut up you stupid bitch! That won't make me happy! I'm immune to your flattery!"

Pepper chuckled and turned away. "Glad that's settled," she whispered to Nami, eyes sparkling with amusement. Nami grinned.

Zoro snorted. "Whatever," he said to Pepper, who looked at him defiantly.

"What," she said, "Do you have a problem with me trying to help?"

"I have a problem with you being so easily welcomed." The swordsman replied, trying not to meet her eyes.

Pepper put her hands on her hips. "Oh, well, I'm sorry I have a likeable personality. Maybe if you put some work into it you could have one too."

"Are you saying I have a bad personality?" Zoro snapped at her, glaring.

She clapped sarcastically. "Wow, way to go genius. It's nice to see that you have a minimum level of intelligence at least. It doesn't seem possible just by looking at you."

"Don't get smart with me," he snarled at her, his hand straying to the hilt of his swords. She didn't back away.

"As opposed to what? Getting stupid? Would that make it easier for you to follow the conversation?"

"Why don't you just tell me what you want to and leave?" Zoro asked.

"Because what I want to say is too complicated and I don't think you would comprehend the insult."

Zoro's temper flared up. "Shut up and just say it!" He growled at Pepper, his voice low and dangerous. Pepper just crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow at him.

"You want me to just say it? Okay, then I'll just simplify it and get it over with now to save myself the trouble of having to verbalize with you later: you are an ass." She swept past Zoro towards the women's quarters, leaving a fuming swordsman standing there, hands balled into fists, quivering.

In the women's quarters, Pepper slung up an extra hammock and collapsed into it with a sigh. Nami sat on the couch, looking at her, slightly confused.

"Why do you hate Zoro so much," Nami asked, "You hardly know him. Honestly, he's not that bad. An idiot, maybe, a reckless fool, definitely, but a bad person, no."

Pepper looked up at the ceiling and bit her lip. "I guess I've just seen people like him before. Ambitious, powerful, bitter people. And none of them have ever been people worth knowing."

"How do you know about his personality if you only just met him? Besides, he defended you out on deck, didn't he? What makes you sure you hate him?"

Pepper rolled over onto her stomach and looked at Nami. "You can tell a lot about a person if you just watch. And I don't know why he defended me out on deck, but he seems determined to show me that it didn't mean anything. So, who am I to think otherwise?"

Nami looked back at her, and then glanced down. "I don't know. Zoro's never been very welcoming, but I don't think I've ever seen him that cruel before. Maybe he is trying to hide why he helped you on deck." Her eyes looked directly into Pepper's then. "If there's one thing you learn about Zoro being on the same ship as him, it's that he will never admit weakness."

Pepper rolled onto her back again, put both of her hands behind her head, and watched the wooden boards above her head. "I guess we're the same in one respect then," she whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

** Here I Remain**

"Good morning everybody!" Pepper said cheerfully the next morning as everyone gathered in the dining room for breakfast.

"Morning," Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper chorused.

"Good Morning," Robin said respectfully.

"Morning, Pepper-sis!" Franky said loudly.

"Hello," Brooke said, already playing a quiet tune on his violin.

"Hey," Nami said cheerfully, beckoning Pepper over to the table she sat at.

"Hi!" Luffy said cheerily as Pepper took her seat next to Nami. She smiled around at them all.

"Sanji, what's for breakfast," Nami shouted into the kitchen.

"Just one second, Miss Nami," they heard Sanji coo from the kitchen. "I'm coming right now." The blonde-haired cook appeared from the kitchen with a plate in each hand, each one piled with pancakes, hash browns, and bacon. He set one plate down before Nami, the other in front of Robin. "Pepper, I'll be right out with yours," he said, prancing back into the kitchen and reappearing with Pepper's breakfast.

"Thank you," Pepper said respectfully, accepting the plate from Sanji and beginning to eat. "Hey," she said a few minutes later, looking around. "Where's Zoro?"

"Oh, him," Nami said dismissively, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "He often sleeps through breakfast. Don't worry about it."

"I wasn't worrying," Pepper said, her voice carrying an edge on it.

"Of course you weren't," Nami replied, picking her fork back up.

Pepper stood us suddenly. "Thanks for the food," she said to Sanji.

"You're done," he said questioningly. "But there's almost half the plate left!"

Pepper didn't listen. She was already halfway through the process of shutting the door behind her by the time Sanji had finished his sentence. Once on deck, she looked around, searching for a certain green-haired swordsman. She had a feeling his skipping breakfast today was not simply because he overslept. Peering up into the crow's nest, she thought she saw movement, so she began to climb towards it.

Zoro had gotten up early that day, still mad about yesterday. Although he was mad at Pepper for calling him both stupid and an ass, he was also mentally slapping himself for defending her out on deck. He had gone to the crow's nest to think, and that's where he was, pacing back and forth endlessly, hands balled into fists against his forehead.

"Idiot, idiot, _idiot_!" He shouted at himself, smacking his forehead with one fist. "What _were_ you thinking? She's just another girl! Nothing special about her! Nothing!" He slumped down along the wall of the crow's nest and buried his head in his knees. "Kuina," he whispered to himself.

The sound of the trapdoor opening caused Zoro to start. He looked up, eyes glinting with anger, at Pepper, who was closing the door behind her.

"So," she said, brushing dust and splinters off her clothes. "I thought I would find you up here."

"Why don't you just leave me alone," Zoro snarled, infuriated that she had followed him. "What do you want from me anyhow?"

"Whoa," Pepper said, holding both hands out in front of her. "Easy. Don't go and bite my head off, I haven't done anything."

"Go away," he growled, turning away from her.

"No," she replied matter-of-factly, taking a step towards Zoro, hands still in front of her body. "I'm not going to."

"Why are you determined to make me miserable?" He asked, curling up his hands into fists.

"Well," Pepper said, pausing to count on her fingers. "One, you seem to hate me, so why waste my time trying to be nice to you, two, you act tough all the time but I can see you're not, so I want to get you to admit that you're not invincible just for the heck of it, three, this is how I act to people like you, and four, it's just fun. That good enough for you?"

"Fabulous," Zoro muttered, staring out at the sea, which was abnormally still that morning.

"Oh good," Pepper said with fake happiness. "I thought you might have been offended."

"Can you leave now," he asked, still not looking at Pepper.

"Yes," Pepper said, not moving.

"Then why don't you?"

"Don't really feel like it. So, I heard that you're always pretty sour towards new people on the ship, is that correct?"

"Sometimes," he replied grimly.

"Why?"

He turned his head to look inquisitively at Pepper, who shrugged.

"It's just a basic Q & A," she said unconcernedly.

"I don't tend to trust people automatically," he said. "That's Luffy, not me."

"I see. Nami vouches for your character, but I'm not so sure. Why are you so sullen?"

"It's just me," Zoro said, looking back at the sea.

"Don't lie to me," Pepper said flatly. "You're awful at bluffing."

"I'm not lying."

"You just did again."

"Will you leave?"

"I already told you no."

"I'll kill you," Zoro whispered ominously, his hand straying onto his swords.

"I'd like to see you try it," Pepper said, slightly amused.

"It'd be easy," Zoro said, turning to face her. "You don't even carry weapons."

Suddenly, Pepper reached her hands behind her and brought out two glittering daggers with red stones set in their hilts. "Wrong," she said, twirling one about on the tip of her finger. "My belt's really a knife holder. Shocks a lot of people, I'll tell you that." She sheathed her daggers again and put her hands on her hips. "So, are you still going to kill me?"

"No," Zoro grumbled, letting his hand drop from his swords. "I wasn't going to anyway."

"Of course you weren't," she said, taking another step towards him. "I would've stopped you."

Zoro's mind flashed back to his first meeting with Luffy, remembering Koby's worried voice echoing out over the Parade Grounds at the Marine Base.

_"Don't do it, Luffy! As soon as you untie him, he'll kill us and get away! I just know it!"_

_ "He won't kill us." _Luffy had replied calmly, almost sounding amused. _"He couldn't. I wouldn't let him."_

Zoro shook his head to stop his memories flooding back all at once. It was overwhelming to think about everything that had happened since he had joined Luffy as the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates.

There was silence for a few minutes, both of them just staring at the other, Zoro's eyes menacing, Pepper's blank. "I heard you say a name," she said slowly, looking at the swordsman quizzically. "Does that have anything to do with you being so morose all the time?"

"Huh?" Zoro asked, startled.

"Oh, I remember it," Pepper said, biting her lip. "It was…uh…ah! Kuina! That was the name, Kuina!"

Without warning, Zoro grabbed Pepper's wrists and brought her face an inch away from his, his face filled with anger and violence.

"Don't ever say that name again," he growled at her. Pepper cringed away from him, her face, for once, genuinely scared by Zoro's sudden change in mood. Zoro shoved her away and exited the crow's nest quickly, slamming the trapdoor behind him, leaving Pepper standing there, massaging her wrists, a look of shock painted on her face.

**~Author's Note~**

**Ahh! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! (Bows apologetically to everyone who was waiting to read this) I will try to stay more on top of things in future! Because you have all waited so long, I am posting two chapters at the same time. I hope this partially makes up for my long absence! Please enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter Four**

** Salt Water**

Pepper didn't show up to lunch that day. Nami went looking for her, but couldn't find her anywhere on the ship. By dinner, they were all pretty worried. "You better not have done anything," Nami threatened Zoro, her fist inches away from his face.

"I didn't," he growled back, slapping Nami's hand away.

The redhead took a step back, eyes narrowed. "Why do you always get so grouchy when we talk about Pepper? What's wrong with her anyways? She's cooler than you."

"She's not the person you think she is," he said violently, turning away from Nami. "She's not the angel you think she is. She's a fallen angel, if anything. An angel with black wings: a cursed angel. She'll turn on us the second we let our guard down."

"Wow Zoro," Nami said, rather taken aback. "That's pretty serious. What makes you think she's like that?" The soft sound of footsteps came from behind Nami.

Whipping around, Zoro had one sword out and in his hand before he even thought about it, holding it to Pepper's neck. Pepper, who had just come up behind them, looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Really?" she said questioningly with an incredulous undertone. "You are kidding."

Zoro narrowed his eyes and pressed the blade forward, nicking her skin and sending a drop of blood splattering onto the deck. Pepper didn't even flinch. The swordsman's eyebrows knitted together and he slashed with his sword.

"Zoro!" Nami shrieked at the first mate, kicking him violently in the shin before punching him in the face.

"She's fine," Zoro hissed. "It's the devil in her."

Nami looked at Pepper, who was standing blankly on the deck, blood running freely from the gash on her neck. The cut didn't appear to be too deep, but it was bleeding copiously.

"Pepper, you should probably go and see Chopper," Nami said worriedly, gazing at the girl, who moved her hand up to her neck.

"Nah, its fine," Pepper said. "I'll take care of it." She walked away, her blonde hair swinging, towards the inner part of the ship.

Zoro snarled softly, then turned as if to go, but Nami grabbed his wrist and dragged him the other direction. "Oh no you don't," she said. "I'm taking you to see Chopper. There must be something wrong with your head. First you're exceedingly suspicious of our new nakama, and then you go and attack her! You need help."

"I don't need help," Zoro said. "There's nothing wrong with me. Now let me go, Nami, before I hurt you."

"Don't threaten Nami-san!" Sanji yelled out of the kitchen window. "I'll kill you, you stupid marimo!"

"Shut it, curly brow," Zoro yelled back.

Nami crossed her arms and glared at Zoro. "They're right, you know," she said.

"Who's right," the swordsman asked.

"All those people who call you a monster." Nami answered flatly, heading towards the kitchen. "Sanji, I want a cold drink," she yelled.

"Right away, Nami-san!" Sanji called back adoringly.

Zoro waited until Nami entered the kitchen, than hurried away after Pepper. She was hiding something, he knew it. As he turned a corner that led to the storerooms at the bottom of the Sunny, he heard Pepper's voice muttering something that didn't sound like any language the swordsman was familiar with. He peered cautiously around the doorframe, not wanting to barge in without knowing what was going on.

Pepper was standing by a stack of boxes, her usually blonde hair now a gleaming red-orange. One of her hands was pressed to the cut on her neck, and Zoro watched as the cut knitted itself shut, leaving only a thin, pale line where it had been. He shifted his weight slightly to see better, and the board he was standing on creaked.

Pepper's head jerked around, her ginger hair swirling around her face. "Oh. You." She said grimly, her eyes flashing. Zoro stepped into the room, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He was staring at Pepper's eyes, which had morphed from their usual dark brown to glittering red, their shade very closely mimicking that of a ruby.

"What are you," he whispered, quivering slightly. _Idiot,_ he thought to himself, _why are you scared? I'm not scared of anything! Anything!_

Pepper closed her eyes and brought out her two daggers, holding them in front of her closed eyes. Zoro noticed that the rubies in the hilts were not nearly as dark as they had been before, although they were still red.

Pepper sighed loudly, and as she exhaled a thin stream of what appeared to be red air came from her mouth and seeped back into the rubies, which returned to their rich red hue. Her hair faded back to blonde, and when she sheathed her daggers and opened her eyes again, they were once more brown.

"You suspected something," she said to Zoro. It was not a question, but a statement. He nodded. She grinned slightly. "I thought you might've. There's always someone who knows. Or almost knows, that is. What made you suspicious?"

"Just a feeling," Zoro stammered hesitantly. He looked at Pepper, eyes narrowed. "What are you?" he asked quietly.

"In a way," she said with a slight laugh. "I'm a god. I'm also a devil and a human. I'm everything, and I'm nothing. I'm light, dark, and all shades in between. I'm the sea and I'm the sky. I exist, and at the same time I'm not real."

"But…what are you really? What's the name for…that you?"

She turned to the green haired swordsman with a sad smile on her face. "I've never told anyone how I became this before," she said quietly. "But…for some reason…I want you to know."

"Let's go somewhere else," Zoro said, looking around the storeroom. "Someone may come for something." Pepper nodded.

"Give me one second," she said, pulling a white linen bandage out of her pocket. "You cut me, remember?" She wrapped the cloth around her neck and followed Zoro out of the room.

They sat on the back rail of the Sunny, hidden from the rest of the ship, their feet dangling over the side, a few meters from the sea that the ship swept through. The water was dark and smooth, and only a few waves could be seen as far as the horizon.

Zoro looked at Pepper's face, and saw the sea reflected in her eyes. She sat, legs swinging out over the ocean, her face calm, but filled with sadness.

"I was never ordinary," she said abruptly, startling Zoro. "And I was unique in a bad way. My father and mother had split up before I was born, and my mother had a hard time raising me on her own." Pepper gave a small snicker. "I was quite the hellion. She used to tell me how worthless I was, and how I'd never amount to anything in life. I didn't care; I didn't want anything from life and didn't expect anything either. Just waking up every morning and knowing that I was there, a thorn in my mother's side, gave me a sense of satisfaction. I always was a bit of a rebel."

Zoro listened intently, not wanting to miss anything Pepper said. For once, all his attention was directed at her without contempt.

"When I turned seven, I decided to see if anyone in the village would miss me if I left. So I did, running through the mountain forests, up towards the peak of the mountain, waiting to see if someone would chase me."

She paused, and Zoro interjected eagerly. "Did they?"

Pepper grinned. "Oh yes. But I think that may have had something more to do with me stealing a few of their valuables before I left and not so much with me actually running away. Anyways, they came after me and nearly caught me. My mother was with them, screaming about shipping me off with a gang of pirates the next time they came to the island. I liked that idea. Being a pirate seemed so much more appealing to me than living out my entire life on a small island where I didn't have anything worth living for, but anyways, that's not important." She waved one hand dismissively, but Zoro couldn't help thinking differently. Everything she said right now was important.

For some reason he couldn't quite explain, Zoro felt like Pepper was something of a kindred spirit; someone similar to him that could help him figure out what had happened to him along his journey and why everyone saw him as a monster.

"So, here I am, being pursued up a mountain," Pepper continued animatedly, using her hands to demonstrate being chased up a mountain. "And we reach the top. It's so high up I could hardly breathe, and a very low cloud was hanging over it. I ran right into the cloud to disguise myself, and ended up getting disoriented and falling into a cave on the mountaintop that I couldn't see. Inside the cave, I found only two things. A huge ruby held to the wall by a series of vines, and a piece of animal skin with writing on it. I couldn't read at the time, but I took the skin anyways, out of habit. I always took everything I could reach, just to stave off the boredom of normal life on the island. The ruby I also wanted to take, but I couldn't pry it loose. So I lay both hands on it, and my fingers found these two grooves in the sides of the stone. When I attempted to tug the stone loose, the color seemed to flood up my arms, my neck, and my head. Soon, I looked like I had dyed myself red for some sick horror circus. I felt something behind me and heard a noise that sounded like laughter, but not any laughter I'd ever heard before. It seemed to live inside the color coating my skin, and then the red began to twist into bands and snake its way into my hair and eyes. Two daggers I had stolen from the villagers grew hot on my belt, and when I looked down I saw rubies in the hilts that hadn't been there before." She prodded the daggers in her belt fondly, yet with a level of disgust that showed her mixed feelings for these weapons.

"Then the red began fading into the rubies on the daggers, and I was myself again. Except for when I got mad. Then the red came back to my hair and eyes, and I destroyed everything within reach." Pepper looked down at the water. "I cut halfway through the mountain before I got control of myself once." She muttered to herself. "But I was careful not to let anyone know of this, and I continued to be the village pest, although now careful to keep my usually unrestrained emotions in check, afraid what would happen if one of my fits was unleashed in front of people." Pepper shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, as if she was trying to get warm. Shaking her head, she looked back at Zoro and continued.

"Eventually I bribed someone to teach me to read and write, although like most details about life on that island I don't remember it exactly. All I know is when I did learn to read and sat down to take a look at that skin I had found in the cave, I found out exactly what I had become."

She wiped her eyes quickly with one hand; then looked straight at Zoro. He looked back at her, black eyes meeting brown. She licked her lips and spoke pleasantly. "Have you ever heard of the Seven Monsters, Zoro?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

** Ever the Same**

"I've heard of them," Zoro said, scratching his head. "But there aren't many details about the Seven Monsters. They're just fantasy, aren't they? Deity's created by the ancients to explain the evils of the world?"

Pepper laughed. "You're half right. They're not fantasy, and the ancients didn't create them. They fought them."

Zoro looked at her, flabbergasted. "What?" he gasped. _She's insane,_ he thought, shaking his head.

Pepper nodded. "Yep. The great evils of the world were defeated by hordes of men. It's quite embarrassing, actually. One of the monsters, the Red Devil, was sealed in a ruby and hidden away at the top of a forbidden mountain."

"Wait, forbidden? That mountain was forbidden?"

"Yeah. I just ran up it to see what meant more to people, tradition or money. Apparently it's money."

"So…you're the Red Devil." He sounded skeptical.

Pepper smiled and shrugged. "The one and only."

"What about the other six? Do you know what happened to them?"

Pepper shook her head and leaned backwards, stretching her arms. "Nope. I only know what happened to the Devil. I've heard rumors about the Ogre, Cyclops, Griffon, and Siren, but I haven't heard a thing about the Dragon or the Minotaur."

"Wait a minute…Dragon…that's the name of Luffy's father." Zoro said, shocked at the connection, and then mentally slapping himself for getting caught up in this crazy talk.

Pepper chuckled. "It's not him, I've already checked that lead thoroughly. It's all just an unfortunate coincidence."

Zoro looked at Pepper, one eyebrow raised, a scowl painted onto his tanned face.

"You don't believe me," Pepper said matter-of-factly before throwing her hands up in the air. "They never do. Why do they never believe me?"

"Because you're insane," Zoro mumbled. "You think you're some great demon."

"But I am," Pepper insisted. "Watch!" She jumped up onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny and drew her two daggers. Spinning them around her wrists, her eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened. Throwing the daggers up in the air, her hair began to float upwards, swirling about her face, defying the forces of gravity. She caught the daggers and brought them in front of her face so the two rubies looked like her eyes. A glint of light hit the rubies, and the red color in them seemed to shatter and fly into Pepper's hair, turning it red. Her skin also changed hues, transforming into a glistening red shade, and when she let the daggers fall from in front of her face, Zoro saw that her eyes were as red as the rubies had been a second ago. Now, the gems were a glittering white.

"Look at me," Pepper said grimly, her voice seeming to echo, even though there was nothing for it to echo off of. "Look at me now and tell me I'm insane."

Glaring, Zoro stood and walked over to where Pepper was standing; a red figure that almost appeared to be on fire. "I'll give it to you that you're different," he growled after a few seconds. "But this does not prove that you are the Red Devil. I still think that's just a fairy tale. It's more likely that you're just a rare devil fruit user, after all." Shoving his hands in his pockets, the green haired swordsman trudged away.

"You just don't want to trust me." Pepper said; her voice rose slightly as she talked to his back.

"Maybe I don't," Zoro replied over his shoulder. "But that doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything." She mumbled, shaking her head and letting the red seep out of her body and back into the rubies. Twirling one of the daggers in her hand, she let out a sigh, her eyes glazed as she watched the ruby, blood red once more, spin around in circles. Shoving the dagger back into her belt, she leaned against the railing, looking out over the sea.

For once she thought someone might've believed her, might've trusted her. She was wrong. She was always wrong about those things. Sighing, Pepper rested her head on one hand and closed her eyes, feeling the breeze run across her face.

"I miss Marco," she whispered to the blue waves, whose only response was to lap gently at the ship's sides.

"Hey Zoro, have you seen Pepper," Luffy asked as Zoro walked into the galley. The captain of the Thousand Sunny was sitting with both feet on his chair, shoving meat into his mouth with a high level of disregard for manners. "I wanted to hear her tell more stories about the Whitebeard Pirates."

Zoro glanced out of the small window in the door towards the deck. "Nah, haven't seen her." He replied, collapsing into a nearby chair and swinging one boot up onto the wooden table.

"Well, she has to be somewhere," Sanji called from the kitchen, where he was preparing a late night snack for the crew. "No one's seen her since this evening, and there are only so many places you can go on a ship."

"She could've jumped," Zoro volunteered.

The response to this was a cry of "No!" from Luffy, accompanied by little half-chewed chunks of meat; and a frying pan thrown with remarkable accuracy from the kitchen that smacked Zoro over the head and sent him tumbling out of his seat. He landed on his side in front of the door, which swung open at that moment, smashing into his face as Nami walked in.

"Oh, sorry, Zoro," she said apologetically, stepping over him into the galley without another glance down. "Has anyone seen Pepper?" she asked. "I can't find her anywhere."

"No, we haven't seen her either," Luffy said through another mouthful of meat. Nami sighed loudly and ran one hand through her orange hair.

"Oh well," she said. "I'm sure she'll turn up eventually." Stepping back over Zoro, Nami left the galley.

"I hate you all," Zoro grumbled, rolling onto his stomach, his voice muffled by the floor.

Pepper didn't really want to talk to any of the crew right now, so she sat in the storage room behind a pile of boxes. Every now and then she could hear one of the Straw Hat's calling her name, but she tuned them out and continued to think of the Whitebeard Pirates. She wanted to join back up with them now more than ever. For some reason, she didn't mind when Zoro snapped at her usually, but she had put her biggest secret out in the open, and he had called her insane for it. That even she couldn't quite handle.

Leaning her head back against one of the boxes, she twirled a blonde strand of hair around one finger, remembering sitting in the crow's nest of the Moby Dick and gazing out at the ocean with Marco at her side. She remembered singing and dancing along to songs that the musicians played. She remembered the first time she was dragged up onto a table to dance for a tune, and the raucous applause her now trademark jig had brought her. She remembered laughing with her crewmates and fighting Navy ships; but most of all she remembered the evenings she would spend wrapped in Marco's arms, watching the sun set over the blue green horizon.

She stood up and walked out onto the deck in almost a trance, remembering those sunsets. She walked to the bow of the ship and watched the horizon, now a deep shade of blue, illuminated only by the half moon that shone faintly in the sky.

A loud noise from behind her caused her to jump and turn sharply, hands on her daggers before she even thought about what was going on.

"And stay out!" Sanji yelled, kicking Usopp through the door to the deck from the galley. Usopp skidded a few feet then sat up, picking grass off of his face and shouting his protests.

"Wow guys," Pepper said loudly, dropping her hands from her daggers and walking over to Usopp, heaving him onto his feet.

"Pepper!" He exclaimed, grinning. Racing back into the galley, Pepper heard him shout. "Hey everybody, I found Pepper!"

"GET OUT!" The whole crew roared, and Usopp once more was sent flying out onto the deck.

Nami poked her head out of the door and smiled widely at Pepper. "Pepper, you can come if you want," she said sweetly.

Pepper grinned and walked into the galley. "Why thank you, Nami, how nice of you." The amused undertone was back in her voice.

As soon as the blonde haired girl had passed her, Nami glared at Usopp. "And don't even think about coming back in," she said menacingly before slamming the door to the deck.


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter Six**

** Unchained**

Yawning loudly, Pepper sat up and stretched before swinging her legs out of her hammock and leaping gently to the floor. Running a hand through her long blonde hair, she slipped on a jacket and some loose pants before padding barefoot out the door. She made her way up to the deck slowly, not wanting to disturb the others, who still may be trying to sleep, as it was still at least a half-hour before dawn.

Stepping out onto the grassy deck, Pepper sighed and closed her eyes, letting the wind brush gently across her skin and the grasses tickle her bare feet. The sea was a pale, chilled shade of blue and the sky matched it, only with a few clouds speckled across it, interrupting the blue. It was cold outside, but not so cold that Pepper was uncomfortable; it was that brisk, chilly air that usually came in fall, but could also be found on perfect mornings. The pale yellow sun was just beginning to rise into the sky, its light stretching out towards the Thousand Sunny, welcoming the ship.

Hearing a noise that sounded like metal clanging, Pepper opened her eyes and looked around, one hand at her waist, when she realized she didn't have her daggers with her. Muttering a curse under her breath, she slipped silently across the deck, her feet rolling lightly through the grass. Peering around a corner towards the aft of the ship, she saw Zoro, swords in hand, sweat trickling down his forehead, throwing iron bars into the air and trying to slice them apart as they came down. Scowling, Pepper turned her eyes back to the front of the ship, staring in horror at what she saw there.

A large Marine vessel was sitting out on the water just in front of them. Pepper was dumbfounded, shaking her head, trying to convince herself it was just a trick of the light, but the ship stubbornly stayed solid, waiting on the water. As she stood there, she saw something flying towards the Sunny.

With a small scream she stumbled backwards, whipping her torso around and scrambling back to where Zoro stood.

"What?" He asked, his grip on the swords tightening slightly as she approached. Pepper knew she probably looked rather disheveled, if downright frightening, but she just stood there panting, panic in her eyes. Finally, she gathered herself enough to point at the ship out on the horizon.

Zoro's black eyes widened and he grabbed his third sword from where it had been resting on the railing, beginning to run towards the front of the ship. "Wake everyone up," he called back to Pepper. "And get your weapons. I have a feeling you're going to need them." Pepper nodded, turning and running back below deck, her feet pattering along the hallways as she ran from door to door, finding everyone and screaming at them to grab their weapons and get on deck; they were under attack!

Everyone scrambled to get up on deck, their weapons in hand, shouting at each other, a focused look glazing over each of their eyes as they neared the deck. Pepper dashed into the women's quarters and grabbed her belt, checking to make sure both daggers were tucked snugly into the leather, before pulling it on and buckling it as she ran out of the door.

Breaking out onto the deck, Pepper drew her daggers and stabbed the closest Marine in the side before she even thought about what she was doing. Quickly identifying where the crew was, she let herself fall into a sort of trace, allowing her to dance freely through the crowd of enemies on the deck, diving, leaping, and slicing through the mass, without injuring her comrades or herself. Rolling out of the way of a large Marine with an axe, Pepper brought up one dagger to defend her head against a sword strike and ran the Marine who had dared to challenge her through with her other dagger.

As the Marine's blood splattered her face, her mind involuntarily cringed with fear. "Red," she whispered to herself. "Too much red. Everywhere. Everywhere." Her eyes widened and she fell out of her battle mindset into a nervous, jumpy one. Without warning, she felt herself get kicked in the side, her thin frame flying through the air and falling, sprawled, onto the grassy deck of the Thousand Sunny. Looking up, she saw a marine looming over her, his gun aimed at her, about to shoot her right between the eyes. Panic coursed through her, and she inhaled shakily, trying to stay calm and failing miserably. Then the man's eyes went blank, a sword appeared from his chest, and he fell, dead, to the deck.

Pepper looked up at the green haired man, her blond hair sticking to her face with sweat, and then peered down at the lifeless enemy at his feet before turning her gaze back to his face. Her brown eyes were shocked as she scrambled to her feet, still looking at Zoro.

"Thank you," she said, sounding astounded and a little breathless.

Zoro shrugged. "Everyone else has accepted you as part of the crew, why shouldn't I?" he asked. Pepper grinned.

"Maybe you should," she said. He looked at her suspiciously, but her comment had none of its usual bite to it. It sounded totally sincere.

"I was thinking the same thing," he said, looking around at the battlefield, which was almost empty now. "So I will protect you as my own nakama."

They just looked at each other for a while, Pepper's eyes confused and Zoro's a little unfocused. Then he quickly added. "But that's not by my choice, that's just because of what everyone else thinks. I don't see you as my nakama, and I never will." He crossed his arms and tightened his jaw, raising his head haughtily. Pepper looked disbelievingly at him and replied in her usual sarcastic tone.

"Ah, of course." She said, giving a sardonic little bow.

For a brief moment, Pepper could've sworn she saw Zoro's lips tilt upwards into a tiny smile, but then he dashed away, and she wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not. Grinning widely, she returned to the grim task of ridding the Sunny of opponents.

The Marine's were soon driven back, and the Straw Hat's made a point of putting some distance between themselves and the Marine ship. When they finally could relax, Pepper sighed loudly, grabbed a cold drink from the kitchen, and went to look for Zoro.

She found him lying up in the crow's nest, surrounded by exercise equipment, but not using any of it. This puzzled, and somewhat worried, her. She had heard that Zoro was one to never pass up a chance to almost kill yourself, and this place seemed like a prime location for just that. He didn't look at her when she walked in, but he did fidget slightly, as if nervous.

"Hey," she said, perching herself on a giant dumbbell a little ways away from him.

He grunted in response, and she rolled her eyes, though without any real contempt.

"Listen," she said. "I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life."

"No big deal," he mumbled, still resolutely not looking at her.

"Well _I_ think it's a big deal," she said, a mock offended tone in her voice. She saw him smile-half heartedly at the joke, but he still wouldn't look at her.

"Well…" she said, letting her voice trail off, waiting for him to respond.

"Well what?" he asked haughtily, his voice defensive.

"Why did you save me? It's not that you like me or anything, you even said you didn't consider me your nakama, and yet…"

"And yet…" he mumbled back. "I don't know."

There was silence for a few minutes, then Zoro broke the silence, his voice hesitant. "And it's not that I don't like you. I do." He paused, licking his lips. Pepper could tell he was caught up trying to decide whether to tell her more or not.

"I like you," he said. "I mean, you're kind of a crew member…"

"But why did you save me?" Pepper asked, her voice desperate.

"I – I saved you because…because…because I couldn't not save you. I couldn't help it. Involuntary reaction, I suppose."

Pepper blinked a few times, shocked, then she stood up and dusted herself off. "Well," she said, starting to walk towards the trapdoor out of the crow's nest. "Thanks." She clambered through the trapdoor, then stopped, only her head and neck visible above the floor. "And you know," she added, also hesitant. "I guess I kind of like you too." Then she ducked under the floor and began to climb down the ladder back to the deck.

Zoro smiled slightly, then pressed his arm over his forehead and forced the smile away. Well, he had said it, and he couldn't take it back now. Although he still thought Pepper was a little, well, psychotic (she did think she was the Red Devil, after all) he was drawn to her in a way he wasn't familiar with. It scared him. And Zoro did not like being scared.


	7. Mandarin

Hello everyone! This is a sort of experiment of mine, and I've decided that now's a good time to try it out, so here we go. To help illustrate the changes in Zoro and Pepper's relationship I've picked out a few songs that I'm changing into songfics and integrating into the story. Please give me feedback about how you think this works so I can decide whether or not to do this for other stories I write!

~ShatteredElement

DISCLAIMER: I swear, I own nothing!

Song lyrics in italics

Mandarin – Glowfriends

_Sometimes I think of you and just can't explain my mind_

_I wait for words to come but they don't define_

_The way I feel about you even when you've been unkind_

_I think it's fair to say that I've lost my mind_

~†~

He was a jerk, to be sure, but still…she was drawn to him. She didn't know why, and definitely didn't understand it, but something about him seemed to capture her attention, much to her dismay. He was self-absorbed, preachy at times, rude, and infallibly irrational, plus being immature on top of all that. But when she thought about him, when she was honest, she didn't quite know what to think. She hated that feeling.

~†~

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Breaking up over the line_

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Wasting your time_

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Breaking up over the line_

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Wasting your time_

~†~

She really just wanted to talk to him, to make him understand, but things – well − they always got in the way. She didn't know what to say or where to stop talking, or whether he even cared in the first place. She didn't like playing the fool, and when she tried to talk to him, she felt like one. Against her better judgment, however, she kept seeking out his company; although once she found him she was more lost than he was in uncharted territory.

~†~

_I have no way to say this except some kind of sign_

_You fill the empty spaces and you're talking all the time_

_You know I can't complain because you seem to read my mind_

_I know I cannot take you but I want you all the time_

~†~

Did she ever shut up? That was what he forced himself to think whenever his mind strayed to her, his brain stubbornly defying his attempts to steer his thoughts away from that subject. Although he always tried to be irritable to her, to keep her away, she always came and found him, and he knew when he was honest with himself that he would probably go find her if she didn't come to him first. This annoyed him to no end, because he found himself thinking of her more and more, and couldn't help it. She always seemed to be one step ahead of him in conversation, snappy retorts ready before he could even get his words out. He didn't have to say much in their conversations, she did the main portion of talking, but he enjoyed just listening to her, until, that is, she turned the conversation to Kuina or another…delicate…topic. He didn't know how to let her know he didn't actually hate her, but her eyes, the glitter in her eyes, seemed to stop him dead every time he attempted to say something.

~†~

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Breaking up over the line_

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Wasting your time_

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Breaking up over the line_

_So much of what I'm holding in is _

_Wasting your time_

~†~

It was terrible, not letting her know how he felt, but he wasn't even sure how he felt himself, and anyways, she would just laugh at him. It wasn't worth the humiliation, and it wasn't like keeping secrets was a foreign art to him. But he knew he let little hints slip now and then, try as he might to hold them inside. He wondered to himself what she would actually do if he flat out told her everything that was on his mind, and then decided she would probably fall asleep, because it would take so long to explain himself to her.


	8. Chapter 7

** Chapter Seven**

** Snapped Taboo**

She sat in the crow's nest, humming a little song to herself, looking out over the ocean, her long blonde hair done up in a neat bun today, her brown eyes glittering with the reflecting light off the ocean's surface. Pepper sighed and looked over her shoulder at the green haired man behind her who was lifting a giant dumbbell with one arm, his shirt lying discarded on the floor, his torso drenched in sweat. She smiled slightly, and he looked over at her.

"What," Zoro asked between reps. "Is there something on my face?"

"No," Pepper said. "You do, however, look quite disgusting."

"Thanks for that," he replied, his voice strained. She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. "Anytime, I know."

She laughed lightly. "I need to come up with some new responses," she said, grinning. "You're too familiar with my usual ones."

He shrugged but didn't say anything, and Pepper turned back to the sea, watching the small waves crest and lap up against the ship. It had been a month since the encounter with the Marine ship, and the Thousand Sunny was still sailing aimlessly through the water, headed towards the next island, or at least, that was what the log pose said.

Zoro put down the dumbbell and walked over to Pepper, grabbing the towel that she offered to him and wiping the sweat from his face and the back of his neck.

"Alright," he said, stretching. "I'm going for a little swim. See you later."

As he began to walk out, Pepper called after him. "Be sure to keep close to the ship. Last time it was a pain to find you again when you lost us."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving a hand dismissively as he left the crow's nest.

Pepper smiled, resting her chin on both her hands, jumping a little when Zoro's voice came from behind her.

"Pepper?" the swordsman said almost nervously, a faint flush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Yeah?"

"I like your hair like that." Zoro ducked quickly down under the crow's nest after getting his words out, leaving a very surprised Pepper behind.

She blinked once, one hand going up to feel the bun at the back of her head. Her heart was beating a little faster, and she felt a flush come into her cheeks. Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, Pepper made the blush fade and her heartbeat return to normal. "It's not like that," she whispered to herself. "It's not like that at all." Turning her attention back to the deck, she watched Zoro run up to the edge and dive over the side of the ship.

Sighing, she got up and began to climb down the ladder, leaping lightly onto the deck when she was close enough. The cool wind bit at her face, and she breathed deeply, the brisk air shocking her lungs. Stepping lightly across the grass, she paced over to the side of the ship, watching Zoro swim alongside the Sunny.

"How's the water?" She called out teasingly.

"Freezing," he responded, his arms cutting through the water. "Nothing like a cold swim."

"Speak for yourself," Pepper yelled as the wind picked up. "I'd really rather take a warm shower."

He smiled, then inhaled deeply and dove under the surface of the ocean. Pepper grinned and walked aimlessly towards the door to the kitchen, where she could smell lunch being pulled from the ovens.

She was greeted by Sanji's usual crooning when she entered the kitchen, then went and took a seat by Nami, who was relaxing nearby. "Hey Nami," she said, collapsing into a chair next to the navigator.

"Hey Pepper," she said cheerfully, glancing down at the log pose around her wrist. There was silence for a moment; then Nami looked at Pepper, her face confused and curious at the same time.

"Hey," she began. "What's up with you and Zoro anyways? You guys used to hate each other, and now you're like, best friends."

"Not best friends," Pepper said; a glitter in her eye. "We're just people getting to know each other."

"No you're not," Nami said teasingly, punching her friend lightly on the arm. "The minute you two decided to actually get along, it was like you'd known each other forever! You didn't have to get to know each other, somehow you already…knew."

Pepper shrugged and leaned backwards in her chair, putting one foot up on the table and clasping her hands behind her back. "Like I've said many times before," she said to the redhead. "You can tell a lot about a person just by watching them. But yeah, it was easier to get to know him. I guess we're just so, well, alike."

"What do you mean?"

"Lots of things," Pepper sighed, drumming her fingers on the tabletop.

"Well, I think you're both stupid," Nami said lightly. "You could've saved everyone a lot of aggravation if you had just decided to be like this from the beginning."

"It wouldn't have mattered much."

"Oh? Really? Why not?"

"You're always aggravated. And the rest of the crew doesn't particularly get annoyed."

Nami paused for a second before hitting Pepper on the arm. "Touché," she mumbled sourly, causing her friend to grin widely.

"Oi! Island dead ahead!" Franky's voice boomed across the Sunny. Pepper and Nami stood up, smiling, and walked out onto deck.

"Looks like a winter island," Nami observed, squinting at the white mass that sat in the water ahead of them. "Terrific. Tell everyone to get their coats and hats out."

"Aye aye, navigator," Franky said before going off to find everyone.

Pepper turned and walked to the side of the ship, her eyes searching for, and finding, Zoro in the dark water.

"Hey you," she called down to him.

"What?" He replied, flipping onto his back so he could talk to her.

"We're going to be landing soon," she said. "It's a winter island, so everyone needs to get their gear on."

"Alright," he mumbled. "One second." He swam over to where a rope hung from the deck into the water, and grasping it firmly in his tanned hands, Zoro began to pull himself back up onto deck.

Pepper picked up the towel lying nearby and offered it to the shivering man when he clambered up next to her.

"Thanks," he said, wiping his dripping nose with one hand.

She shrugged. "No problem."

For a moment, they just stood there; looking at each other, then Zoro coughed and began to walk towards the men's quarters. Pepper blushed slightly, glancing over her shoulder at him, before walking off in the same direction to grab her own coat from the women's quarters.

"Hey there," she said when she entered the room, waving to Nami and Robin, who were also getting their winter clothes on.

"Hey," Nami said. "Where did you go?"

"I had to get Zoro so I could tell him we were docking soon," she said, reaching up into a small cubby and pulling down her coat, hat, and gloves.

"Hmm," Nami said, grinning evilly. "Did it really take that long to tell him we were landing?"

"Well, I waited for him to get back on deck, but —" Pepper started, before glancing over at Nami and seeing the look on her face. "Oh no," she said, shaking her head and pulling on her gloves. "No, it's nothing like that. We're friends."

"Only friends?"

"Yes, only friends. In case you haven't noticed, Zoro is not very romantic."

"But you want to be more than friends?" Nami asked mischievously.

"Need I remind you I'm in a relationship," Pepper said coolly, reaching down and grabbing her boots from under the couch. "And how did these get here?"

"Don't change the subject," Nami taunted. "Besides, you haven't seen Marco in over a year! I think that makes you available, even if there was no official break-up."

"I don't think so," Pepper said.

Nami shrugged. "Well, whatever, I'm just saying, you and Zoro…"

"No," Pepper said, tugging on her boots and walking towards the door. "Definitely no."

The ship landed on the small winter island about two hours later, and they all stepped off onto the dock, looking around at the snowy mountains and watching their breath freeze in the air.

"This is definitely too cold," Pepper said, shivering.

"You okay?" Zoro asked, looking at her worriedly.

Pepper looked past the swordsman to see Nami grinning at her. Rolling her eyes, she straightened up and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just a bit of a shock."

Zoro shrugged. "Try going swimming in this weather."

Pepper looked at him, confused. "What?"

"Did I never tell you that story?"

"Don't think so."

"Well, there was this one time, on our way to Alabasta…"

The crew continued to chat as they walked along the narrow path towards the village. Then a deep rumbling made them all stop and listen.

"Avalanche!" Luffy yelled, pointing upwards to where a giant ball of snow was rolling down the mountain, gaining speed with every foot it descended and digging up the surrounding snow as well until it was all cascading down on the Straw Hat's. "Run!"

They all took off in opposite directions, looking for cover. Nami, Robin, and Chopper took off one way, Luffy and Franky in another, Sanji, Usopp, and Brooke dove underneath a small outcrop, and Zoro grabbed Pepper's hand and took off sprinting, practically dragging her along with him.

They ran as fast as they could, the snow quick on their heels, until Zoro spotted a small cave on the mountainside.

"Hurry!" he gasped, pulling Pepper towards it.

They reached the entrance just as the snow did, and as the leapt inside, Pepper's ankle caught the edge of the opening as the snow cascaded by. The opening quickly filled with snow, until there was only a little dull light coming through.

"Ouch," Pepper flinched, feeling her ankle, which was starting to swell.

"Are you okay?" Zoro asked, crouching down next to her.

She grimaced. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, looking down at her leg. "It's just bruised."

There was silence while they both surveyed their surroundings. The minutes passed slowly, feeling like an awkward eternity, then Pepper spoke, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Do you think — well — do you think the others will find us?"

"Yeah," Zoro said. "Of course they will. Why?"

Pepper laughed humorlessly. "I just don't want to be left behind again," she whispered sadly, burying her face in her knees.

Not sure of himself, Zoro reached out and brushed one hand along her pale cheek. Pepper jumped and looked up, shocked, and he leaned towards her, kissing her softly.

After her initial twitch of shock, Pepper relaxed and let him kiss her, not sure why.

After a long moment, they broke apart, looking at each other, confusion on both their faces.

"Why?" Pepper asked, looking into Zoro's confused eyes.

"I —" the swordsman stammered, but he was cut off by voices from outside.

"Zoro? Pepper?" They heard Luffy's voice call outside the cave.

"In here!" Pepper shouted back, jumping to her feet. Zoro stood up next to her.

"Hey guys, over here," Luffy shouted, and they saw the snow begin to move aside until Luffy's beaming face was visible.

"Hey you two," the captain said, laughing. "We weren't sure where you ran off too! Come on, let's get back to the Sunny; Sanji and Chopper already got everything we need from the town, and it's too cold to stay here long!"

Pepper smiled and headed towards the exit. Zoro seemed frozen where he was.

She stopped and turned around, her usual smirk on her face. "Hey," she called, snapping him out of his trance. "You coming or not?"

Zoro snorted and followed her out of the cave and onto the white mountain and into the arms of the worried crew.

Dinner on the Sunny was loud that night, everyone telling the stories of what happened to them during the avalanche.

"Hey Zoro," Luffy called. "What happened to you guys?"

Zoro looked up from his food and glanced across the room at Pepper, who stared back, her eyes pleading.

"Nothing," the green haired man said. "We sat there and waited for you all to dig us out."

"Really?" Nami said skeptically. "That's it?"

"Yep," he said. "That's it."

Pepper stood up and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.


	9. Chapter 8

** Chapter Eight**

** Black Stars**

Pepper found herself avoiding Zoro more and more as the days wore on, also trying to dodge questions from Nami about the sudden changes in their relationship. She didn't want to tell anyone about what had happened in that cave; and she felt terrible about it.

She was Marco's, and she told herself that every day, so why it was that she couldn't find the strength to stop things when Zoro had kissed her? Did she not feel bad enough about it? Was she not in love with Marco anymore? Or maybe, did she feel something towards Zoro? Pepper didn't know. And she didn't want to answer any of the questions.

It was late, two in the morning, and she had woken up again from her usual nightmare; the day she was left behind on the sky island. Sighing and wiping her eyes, she swung her legs over the side of her hammock and plodded out onto deck, looking up at the stunning night sky.

The dark blue backdrop was scattered with small pricks of light that illuminated the grassy deck of the Sunny. Humming contentedly, Pepper walked a little ways across deck, letting the grass worm between her bare toes.

A small noise from behind her made her jump, and turning, she saw Zoro coming up from the men's quarters, yawning loudly.

He stopped when he saw her, and they stood there awkwardly until the swordsman cleared this throat.

"You couldn't sleep either, eh?"

"Apparently not," Pepper said, trying to infuse her voice with its usual playfulness. It didn't quite work.

Zoro stepped forward to face her. "We really need to talk."

"About what," she snapped, wrapping her arms around herself and turning away.

"About what happened in that cave," he said. "And about why we're not talking anymore."

Pepper tried to ignore him, instead focusing on the breeze that was catching her hair and tossing it around.

"Pepper, you can't keep acting like it never happened."

"Well what do you want me to do about it?" she almost yelled. "I'm not the one who started this whole mess!"

"You're blaming me," he said, his temper suddenly flaring up. "For what?"

"For the cave!"

"What? I'm sorry, but I don't really know what came over me."

"Well, that's a problem!"

"Fine, then I won't bother with you in the future!"

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

He turned to storm back into the men's quarters, but stopped at the door, spinning on his heel.

"Damn it," he said, coming back towards her and catching her in a hug. "Why won't you just tell me what's wrong? Do you hate me or something?"

Pepper just stood there, shocked for a moment, before the tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry onto the swordsman's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him.

"I feel like a traitor!" she gasped out. "A traitor to my crew and a traitor to Marco!"

"Why?"

"I feel like I've let my crew down because…well…I really _like_ being here, more than I ever liked being with the Whitebeard Pirates, and it feels wrong!"

"And Marco?"

She drew back, their arms falling back to their sides, tears still falling from her eyes. "It's not that I don't like you, Zoro," she said. "I do like you. I like you a lot, and it's…it scares me."

"You do like me?" he asked harshly.

Pepper smiled up at him through all the tears and wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath. "No, I just lied to you for the heck of it," she said, the usual bite back in her voice. "Yes, of course I like you."

"Then what's the problem? Why were you so mad?"

"Because Marco —"

"Forget Marco!" Zoro exclaimed suddenly, grasping her hands firmly in his. "Forget the Moby Dick! You're here now, on the Thousand Sunny! You're one of the Straw Hat Pirates now! Please," he said. "Understand that."

Pepper paused for a moment, then bit her lip and nodded. "Alright," she said. "For now."

They both smiled, and leaned towards each other. Their lips met, and for the first time, both of them knew why.

When they broke apart, Zoro hugged Pepper to him, and she nestled close breathing the moist sea air and watching a few gulls fly across the night sky.

"No one can know," she whispered after a short pause.

"What?"  
"No one can know we're like this," she said. "We should act like normal crewmates in front of everyone else."

"Why?"

"I don't want them thinking I'm trying to manipulate you, or that I'm betraying Marco or something —"

"Pepper!"

"Please, Zoro?" She looked up at him, her brown eyes pleading. He sighed irritably and scowled.

"Alright, alright. Around everyone else, we're just friends. Happy?"

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Very."

He kissed her again.

A few minutes later, Pepper discovered that sneaking back into the women's quarters was a lot harder than sneaking out of them when she saw Nami sitting on the couch waiting for her, an evil smirk on her face.


End file.
